Sideswipe: November 15: Impulse shopping

Photo / Supplied

An assortment of Durex products spotted in the beer chiller at the Countdown Botany Supermarket.

Pet insurance scams

A new type of fraud is affecting the insurance industry - pet scams. Insurers believe frauds include owners getting rid of the animal - by selling it or even killing it - then claiming a payout for early death or theft. Other owners have injured their pets in "faked accidents" to cover up pre-existing injuries or conditions not covered by their policy, or the pet may never have existed. Other tactics detected include claims for vet treatments that have not actually been given or are unnecessarily expensive. Experts suspect some vets are involved. (Source: The telegraph.co.uk)

Poster slip rocks the boat

Organisers preparing London for next year's Olympic Games have apologised for airbrushing the historic World War II ship HMS Belfast from an official poster depicting the capital's skyline. They said it was "a simple mistake in the advertising production process" and have recalled the posters. But critics say it was a conscious decision because of the ship's military connection. The Belfast has been moored near Tower Bridge since 1971. Martyn Heighton, from National Historic Ships, said it was like "airbrushing out the Houses of Parliament". (Source: BBC.co.uk)

Gift at bottom of scale

The Group Therapy column from the Globe and Mail, which solicits helpful advice from other readers about domestic problems, included this letter: "My husband and I have been married 11 years and have three kids. Before my 39th birthday I tried to suggest that I wanted a romantic gift ... He gave me a bathroom scale and a hot water bottle ..." What's the worst (or best) gift you've ever received? Email Sideswipe.

A John Banks insight

A reader writes: "All the fuss about what Key and Banks were saying over teacups; surely it couldn't be any worse than what [John] Banks said publicly? ... The Act candidate for Epsom said out loud on TV3's The Nation: 'If we continue the bankrupt response of just paying young Polynesian, young Maori men, in South Auckland the dole to sit in front of TV smoking marijuana and watch pornography and plan more drug offending and more burglaries, then we are going to have them coming through our window regardless if we live in Epsom or anywhere else."

Less than secure

Says Admedia's Fastline: "Fresh PR and its client, Fudge Haircare, hijacked Vector Arena security for a cool little ambient stunt at the Vodafone Music Awards last week. As each bag was checked by security at the door, a free Fudge product was slipped in ..." Er, nice to know Vector Arena security are allowed to slip things into your bag.